On Friday, Samuel Woodward, 27, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in prison for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein, a gay Jewish student from the University of Pennsylvania, according to AP News.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Woodward was found guilty of murdering Bernstein in a hate-fueled stabbing that took place in January 2018.
Woodward, who was 26 at the time, was convicted of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement for the killing of Bernstein, according to the Orange County Register. An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for approximately eight hours before reaching the verdict on July 3.
Bernstein, a gay and Jewish college sophomore, was home in Foothill Ranch, California, visiting his family during winter break when he disappeared. After an extensive search, police discovered his body a week later.
Throughout the three-month trial, the central issue was not whether Woodward killed Bernstein, but rather the motives and circumstances surrounding the murder.
AP News reports that many of Bernstein’s relatives and friends attended court wearing shirts that read, “Blaze it Forward.” This message encourages people to commit acts of kindness in Bernstein’s name.
“Let’s be clear: This was a hate crime,” Bernstein’s mother, Jeanne Pepper, told the court. “Samuel Woodward ended my son’s life because my son was Jewish and gay.”
Pepper finds comfort in knowing that Woodward will never be released from prison and stated that while he “rots in prison, we will be here on the outside, celebrating the life of Blaze.”
“Blaze’s memory and spirit will live on in every kind deed done in his honor,” she said.
Ken Morrison, Woodward’s defense lawyer, asked the judge to exercise discretion and requested that his client be sentenced to 28 years to life.
Morrison plans to appeal the verdict, claiming that the jurors were not permitted to see all the evidence presented during the trial.
[Featured Image: Blaze Bernstein/Family Handout]
